Malawi’s new President, Joyce Banda, has promised to sell off the presidential jet and 60 Mercedes limousines.
Ms Banda, according to reports by the Daily Telegraph, said she would be happy to offload the presidential perks adding that she “can as well use private airlines. I am already used to hitchhiking.”
In so doing, the 62-year old head of state and second woman to hold the position in the history of independent Africa has sent a strong “signal of intent and her priorities at a time of financial austerity”.
This has been a dodgy affair with the Kenyan government. It must be remembered that President Uhuru Kenyatta attempted similar austerity measures, albeit with strong resistance, as minister of Finance in his predecessor’s government. He even rod a VW Passat of 2000cc capacity as official vehicle. He was, in fact, to decree that any government official, however senior, should not use a car of more than that capacity as official car.
The extent of resistance against his measures, especially by fellow government ministers and other top mandarins was so strong that it bordered on the absurd. They ignored the order to return the fuel guzzlers, until government deployed the police to recover, in some cases, by force along the roads.
The irony of President Kenyatta’s efforts, which Kenyans uploaded at the time is, he has gone mum on the same ever since he assumed the highest office. As a result, the opulence has since crept back in the file and rank of government.
Government car yards across the country, too, are dotted with stalled expensive fuel guzzlers that would bring government revenue if they were sold off to private individuals. The cost of running those on the road by pampered top government officials would do this country good if channeled to areas of healthcare, agriculture or infrastructure. It is high time we borrowed a leaf from President Joyce Banda.
